Swine-flu scare increases with more infections

RESOURCES

If you have flulike symptoms, see your doctor or call (619) 542-4300 for a referral to a nearby community clinic.

For more details about swine flu, call San Diego County's Swine Influenza Information Line at (858) 715-2250 or go to
cdc.gov/flu/swine

San Diego 
Fears of an international swine flu epidemic grew Friday as public-health officials reported another infected person in San Diego County and at least 20 related deaths in Mexico.

The World Health Organization expected the number of cases to rise because it seemed too late to stop the outbreak in Mexico. Its leaders instead focused on monitoring infection patterns and increasing supplies of antiviral drugs such as Tamiflu.

A total of eight people in the United States – in San Antonio and San Diego and Imperial counties – have been diagnosed with the disease since last week and have recovered. All of them live along the U.S.-Mexico border region, but it's unclear if they had any contact with patients in Mexico.

None were exposed to pigs, the typical way swine flu is transmitted.

In Mexico, the World Health Organization is helping local health experts diagnose and treat new cases from Mexicali to Mexico City. The officials have identified more than 1,000 patients suffering from an unusually strong form of influenza in Mexico, with about 60 deaths. They have confirmed that 20 of the dead had swine flu and are investigating 45 other cases.

Most of the fatal victims died from flu-induced pneumonia.

Mexico's leaders said they don't intend to restrict domestic or foreign travel despite, but they did vow to mount a huge immunization campaign in their nation's capital in the coming days.

They also canceled all public events and urged residents to avoid large gatherings and refrain from shaking hands or giving the common Mexican greeting to a woman of a kiss on the right cheek.

Mexico City officials shut all museums and other cultural venues and advised people not to attend movie theaters. Schools in Mexico City and the neighboring State of Mexico closed on Friday, keeping 7 million students at home. It was the first citywide closure of schools since a powerful earthquake hit in 1985.

Seven samples of the virus detected in Mexico appear to match the strain seen in the United States, officials with the Centers for Disease Control said during a special media conference in Atlanta.

“People are concerned. . . . We are worried as well. Our concern has grown since yesterday,” said Richard Besser, the agency's acting director.

He asked people to remain patient and not panic.

“We still do not have enough information” about the dangers of the disease, Besser said. “It's really critically important that we learn more about what is going on in Mexico.”

The latest patient from San Diego County is a 7-year-old boy.

“More than likely, we will have additional cases of swine the influenza virus here,” said Dr. Wilma Wooten, the county's public health officer. “While there is concern about this new virus, I would like to stress that this is not a pandemic situation.”

Besser said scientists are looking for a connection between the U.S. cases.

“So far, we have not been able to identify that,” he said.

The CDC isn't restricting travel to Mexico, but it's cautioning travelers who plan to visit Mexico City and warned people against boarding planes or buses if they are sick. Besser said people should take common steps to avoid spreading influenza, such as washing hands and covering their mouths when they sneeze.

He said the agency has taken initial steps toward making a swine flu vaccine, but “have not made any decision about the need for manufacturing (it).”

Like other types of influenza, swine flu typically creates a mild infection. But its rarity in humans and the lack of a vaccine for people mean that few individuals have antibodies to fight off the virus. That could lead to a rapid spread of the disease.

CDC investigators said the genetic makeup of the new swine flu viruses in the United States haven't been seen before.

Epidemiologists said they could be a new mutation or could have existed for some time but were discovered only now because of more vigorous efforts to track infectious diseases.

These viruses have genetic elements of four known influenza strains – a North American swine virus, a North American bird virus, a human virus and a swine virus typically found in Europe and Asia.

Within each species, influenza strains mutate from time to time. They also occasionally jump from one species to another, such as from a pig to a pig-farm worker, but generally don't spread to more people.